Winter 2024
December 10, 2024
Her Justice, as a member of the NY Legal Services Coalition, signed on to a letter in support of a New York State bill (S.7524/A.10350, 2023-24 session), which would authorize the Chief Administrative Judge to allow e-filing in local criminal and civil courts across the state where the option does not exist.
December 2, 2024
Her Justice signed on to a letter spearheaded by Lawyers Alliance for New York and the New York Legal Services Coalition urging Governor Hochul to amend the template contract that State agencies use for contracts with nonprofits, which makes client data the property of the State and bars the nonprofit from using it to provide services to those clients outside of the State-funded program. The letter demanded that the Governor act to protect nonprofit client confidentiality for the security of vulnerable communities and delivery of essential safety net programming.
Fall 2024
October 11, 2024
Her Justice submitted policy priorities to the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus for the 2025 People’s Budget Framework. We urged the Caucus to support two pieces of proposed legislation: (1) S.2278/A.1309 (2023-24 session), which would provide relief from coerced debt to survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, human trafficking, and abuse by caretakers; and (2) S.5269/A.3753 (2023-24 session), which would pilot an expedited settlement conference process for families who can agree on child support rather than requiring them to engage in traditional litigation in the backlogged Family Courts.
Spring 2024
May 6, 2024
Her Justice submitted written testimony for the FY25 budget hearing held by the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare urging the Council to reaffirm and enhance resources to women living in poverty and for essential legal services through funding initiatives such as SAVE, DoVE, and Speaker’s Initiative funding.
May 2, 2024
As a member of the NY Legal Services Coalition (NYLSC), Her Justice supported proposed NYS legislation (S.9130A, Ryan / A.10253A, Solages) that would protect Interest on Lawyer Accounts (IOLA) funds by amending Section 97-v of the State Finance Law to allow IOLA appropriations to occur outside the budget process and ensure that IOLA’s original legislative intent is honored. The amendment would ensure that IOLA funds are used solely for their designated purpose of providing civil legal services to the most vulnerable low-income New Yorkers and preserve the IOLA program’s legal and ethical foundations. Her Justice further supported this effort through direct advocacy with lawmakers and through social media posts.
March 21 2024
Her Justice signed on to a letter with other legal services organizations from New York State urging Governor Hochul and Legislative leadership to reject the proposed sweep of $234 million from the Indigent Legal Services Fund in the FY25 Executive Budget. The letter argued that the funds are crucial to ensure that low-income New Yorkers receive the high-quality legal representation they deserve and to which they are entitled by the United States Constitution.
March 11 2024
Her Justice and other legal services organizations signed on to a letter urging Governor Hochul and the Legislature to pass the right to counsel legislation (S.2721) to guarantee the right to a free lawyer for all tenants facing eviction in New York State.
Winter 2024
February 16, 2024
Her Justice joined other legal services organizations across the state to advocate against a proposal by Governor Hochul to “sweep” $100 million from the IOLA Fund, proceeds of which support free civil legal aid provided by 81 nonprofits benefiting over 639,000 New Yorkers in need just last year. On February 16, Governor Hochul announced that she was rolling back the proposed “sweep.”
February 12, 2024
Her Justice and other advocates participated in a press conference to support a call for an historic investment in the New York State budget for the New York Family Court led by Senators Hoylman-Sigal and Brisport, along with Assemblymembers Lavine and Hevesi.
February 7, 2024
Her Justice, as a member of the NY Legal Services Coalition (NYLSC) and with other grantees of the Interest on Lawyer Accounts (IOLA) Fund, signed a letter to Governor Hochul urging her to issue a 30-day amendment to the FY25 Executive Budget rescinding the proposed transfer of $100 million from the IOLA Fund to the State General Fund.
Winter 2023
December 12, 2023
Her Justice and other civil and human rights groups signed on to a letter led by A Better Balance urging New York State Governor Hochul to modernize the state’s paid medical leave system and ensure adequate funds for the system in the FY2025 state budget.
Fall 2023
October 13, 2023
Her Justice submitted a memorandum to Governor Hochul expressing support for S.5162/A.5772, a NYS bill that would allow litigants in civil cases to swear to a statement under penalty of perjury without having to notarize the document and would remove significant barriers to access to justice for low-income New Yorkers, especially in housing, civil and family court matters.
Summer 2023
June 6, 2023
Her Justice is proud to have advocated for Senate Bill 5162/Assembly Bill 5772; this policy change will remove significant barriers for low-income New Yorkers — especially in housing, civil, and family court matters — and create a more fair playing field for litigants like our clients.
Winter 2023
February 7 & 13, 2023
Her Justice submitted testimony for New York State Human Services and Public Protection budget hearings highlighting the needs of the communities we serve and the multifaceted services we provide.
January 18, 2023
Her Justice submitted testimony for a City Council hearing on the expansion of the CityFHEPS rental assistance program, which focused on the interconnectedness of housing stability and our clients’ ability to participate in the civil justice system.
Winter 2022
December 14, 2022
Her Justice supported proposed New York State legislation that would create a Women’s Commission on Reentry to bring stakeholders in government along with advocates and service providers to study the needs of women returning from New York’s jails and prisons, including trauma, housing, domestic violence, and access to legal assistance and legal barriers to reentry, and focus on gender-responsive solutions to these challenges.
Fall 2022
Her Justice (by Naomi Young) along with other organizations authored a report titled “Reinvesting in Economic Justice, Equity, & Solidarity for Survivors in New York City,” with survivor-centered policy proposals relating to coerced debt, public benefits, and solidarity economy.
October 6, 2022
Her Justice and other advocates participated in a roundtable discussion with Director Chopra of the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the issues impacting consumers in our communities, particularly as they relate to the intersection of intimate partner violence and consumer protection.
October 3, 2022
Her Justice engaged a team of graduate students in the NYU Wagner Capstone program to study policies around reporting of court system data in New York and beyond to support our advocacy for greater transparency of New York’s court data to support solutions for civil justice reform.
September 19, 2022
Her Justice, by Naomi Young who is a co-chair of the New York City Domestic Violence and Consumer Law Working Group, submitted testimony for the Hearing on Civil Legal Services in New York held by the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice. The Working Group’s testimony highlighted the civil legal services needs of domestic violence survivors who experience economic abuse, consumer debt, and credit reporting issues.
Summer 2022
June 7, 2022
Her Justice submitted written testimony, drafted by Caroline and Danica Brown (volunteer attorney, currently at Sidley Austin), for a hearing held by the New York Office of Court Administration’s Commission to Reimagine the Future of New York Courts, Pandemic Practices Working Group. The testimony focused on technology innovations – such as electronic filing of documents and virtual court appearances – that would address system inefficiencies and improve the delivery of justice to individuals accessing the Family and matrimonial courts.
June 1, 2022
Her Justice joined other organizations calling for the State to pass an Equality Amendment (S.8797A/A.10468A) that would amend the State constitution to bolster protections against discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, disability, and sex, including pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
Spring 2022
April 18, 2022
Her Justice signed on as an ally to a letter from legal services providers to Governor Hochul in support of legislation (A.7570/ S.6678) that would ensure that every tenant in New York State has the right to a lawyer when facing an eviction.
Winter 2022
February 2, 2022
Her Justice submitted testimony for a human services budget hearing held by the New York State Legislature relating to the array of civil legal services our organization provides to meet the needs of women living in poverty in New York.